Saturday 30th November

In an historic 1st, all three of VCBs bands competed in the same contest and what’s more each came away with some silverware!

In summary
Verwood Training Band – 1st prize Hampshire Cup in the Fourth Section / Ungraded Band category

Verwood Town Band – 3rd prize cup in the 3rd Section Band category

Verwood Concert Brass

• 2nd prize cup in Championship Section category
• 2nd prize cup in the March Upper-Sections Catgeory
• Ian Harris won the Tom Gommersal Memorial Cup for Best Euphonium Player.
• Chris Ide, Mike Dunnings and Duncan Smith won the Arthur Spencer Trophy for Best Bass Section.

Full Report

Verwood Training Band have never competed in a ‘senior’ contest before and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. They received some great comments from the adjudicator, Steve Sykes, whose report included “Very enjoyable! Keep up the great work. Much to commend. Thank you”.

Steve also praised the music selection of “Young In Heart” by Eric Ball as being a proper well written piece of brass band music.

As a result of all the hard work the Training Band and conductor Mike Dunnings has put in, they were very proud to receive the Fourth & Ungraded Band 1st prize of the Hampshire Cup.

Big congrats to all involved in the Training Band.

Verwood Town Band were, for the first time, competing in this contest as a 3rd section band, having moved up from the 4th section, so had been working hard to compete at this higher level. Other than the Verwood Training Band, the Town Band were on paper the lowest ranked band competing, so all to play for.

The band put in an excellent performance of Darrol Barry’s “Prelude and Jubilate” which not only netted them a cup for 3rd place in the 3rd section but out of the 19 bands competing, were awarded 14th place overall, having been placed higher than a couple of other 3rd section bands and also a couple of 2nd section bands.

Well done the Town Band and conductor Emma Button.

Verwood Concert Brass Band, who were the reigning Wessex Champions, were in for a tougher time this year with not only three other Championship Bands competing but one of those included Woodfalls Band.

Woodfalls are currently ranked 26th best brass band in the world! This compares to Verwood’s world ranking of 143rd.

Adjudicator Steve Sykes said in his post contest summary that it was very close between the top two placed bands. Woodfalls prevailed though coming 1st but Verwood came 2nd in both the ‘March’ and ‘Test Piece’ contest. A very creditable result to have run Woodfalls close with Verwood putting in an excellent performance of ‘Castell Caerdydd’ March by T J Powell and the test piece ‘Metropolis 1927” by Peter Graham.

But . . . that was not all. There were some special awards too.

Ian Harris won the Tom Gommersall Memorial Cup for the best Euphonium player.

And . . .

Chris Ide, Mike Dunnings and Duncan Smith won the Arthur Spencer Trophy for best bass section. This was high praise indeed as adjudicator Steve Sykes is himself a world-renowned bass player! And they were one bass player short!

So congratulations to Ian, the bass team, conductor Kevin Smith and the band.

Verwood Concert Brass Band also had the pleasure of performing a short entertainment concert whilst the results were being compiled and paid tribute to Dennis Chalk BEM, a local and prominent member of the brass band movement who died recently, by playing the march ‘Chalk Valley’ by Derek Broadbent which was originally commissioned some years ago to commemorate Dennis’ 30 year involvement with the Wilton Band.

50 years in banding
The contest occasion also gave the Wessex Brass Band Association an opportunity to award quiet a large number of certificates to people who have been involved in banding for 50 years. It is brilliant to see that banding often remains a life-long passion.

Amongst the recipients were Verwood Concert Brass members Merv Green, Robin Lock, Eileen Lock (she must have been very young when she started playing) and Nigel Tiller. Congratulations to you all.

Lastly, congratulations too to all the other bands and prize winners (full results can be found on the Wessex Brass Band Association Facebook Page) and also the Wessex Brass Band Association for putting on a great contest. And thank you for all of our supporters who came along to give us a cheer.